Carp Fishing 'Plan B'... Michael Stewart

This entry was posted on 22nd May, 2014

Carp Fishing 'Plan B'... Michael Stewart

After the Easter weekend I started on a ‘plan B’ water, I say this because ‘Plan A’ wasn't happing earlier in the year, so I’d sorted out a ticket elsewhere as a back up. I planned to fish the ‘Plan B’ water, where I had some unfinished business, throughout May and June, before returning to Cambridge and ‘Plan A’ in early July.

The first couple of sessions were fairly unproductive with just two stockies to my name and I started to get the feeling that I needed a change of tactics, as fishing rods over a scattering of boilies simply wasn’t doing the business, even though it had done so in the past. The fact that the water had been busy and that I’d only been left the choice of a couple of swims hadn’t helped me either!

However my latest trip was set to be different.

We were graced with the first really hot weather of the year and on arrival at the water it screamed two things… surface baits and zigs, an added bonus and something that left me pleasantly surprised was the fact that there was only one other angler on the complex, who was in the process of packing away fishless!



With an array of swim choice I had a good look about, and initially I was going to settle in Car Park corner, as a gentle breeze was pushing in and the odd Carp could be seen grazing the surface.

I soon scooted the barrow around to the area and set about putting in a few free offerings, a couple of pouches of Dynamite Baits 11mm Expander Pellets that had been soaked in Salmon Oil soon saw one or two fish slurping away.

The surface kit was assembled; Greys Stalking Rod, Daiwa SS2600 Reel, Korda Interceptor Controller Float, Drennan Double Strength Hook length and ESP Big T Hook completed the set up.



By this time the fish were becoming more confident and most of the original feed was gone, so out went a dozen more free offerings, whilst I sorted my hookbait. A fishy pellet shaped pop up, from my own concoction was the order of the day.

After a further ten minutes of watching and feeding I felt it was the right time to introduce my hookbait. I made a long cast ensuring I bypassed the feeding fish and then slowly eased my bait back amongst them, creating as little disturbance as possible.

My bait had literally just settled when a Carp doubled back and absolutely engulfed it, there was no need to strike and the rod was literally wrenched from my hands! After a spirited scrap a lovely dark mottled Common was safely in the folds of my landing net, at 21lb 2oz, it was a nice start to the weekend!



With all that disturbance the feeding fish in the swim had backed off, so I decided to rest the area and to sort the rods for the night. One was positioned twenty yards down my left hand margin, just where the weed ended the margin dropped away; I had around seven feet of water and opted for a Stiff Hinge Rig with a Corkball Pop-up, fished over 30 or so Crave freebies. The second rod was positioned just off an island margin around thirty yards to my right, this was fished with a balanced Tiger Nut, over a handful of free offerings.

I popped the shelter up and carried on introducing a few more floating freebies, keeping my eye out for any takers!

There was one fish in particular that was feeding enthusiastically, hoovering up pellets left right and centre! Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I got the floater rod back out and introduced my hookbait. I fluffed a chance straight away, but luckily I hadn’t spooked him, as he just carried on feeding.

Take two! This time things went more to plan, as my hookbait slowly drifted into the feeding zone, it was nailed! Once again there was no need to strike, with the surface controller doing its job impeccably!

This one felt bigger than the first, charging around the swim and trying to bury in every conceivable reed stack and weed bed, but after some careful playing I eventually managed to get him under control and into my waiting landing net. It was once again another mint Common, bigger than the first at 28lb 6oz.



As darkness fell I packed the surface rod away and popped a third rod out on my alarms, this time I opted for a Zig Rig and a small piece of black foam. This was set around a foot under the surface and cast to the area where I’d landed the previous fish.

The evening passed without incident, until first light when the left hand round pulled round and produced a Common of around 17lb.

For most of the morning and into the afternoon I experimented with the depths of my Zig Rig, as the Gulls and Ducks made surface fishing virtually impossible, but unfortunately only one lost fish came my way, it had felt a good’un too, but I guess they always do when you lose them!

At around 6pm in a small, shallow and very weedy bay I noticed a couple of fish taking the odd morcel from the surface, so I grabbed the tackle and snuck down for a look, as I knew it was going to be hit and hold I swapped the floater tackle for 15lb mono straight through. Keeping low and making sure I didn’t spook them I discreetly introduced a handful of Expanders and after fifteen or so minutes they were gone, so in went another.

After a further ten minutes a few more pellets started to disappear, as the fish started to slurp them up from amongst the weed.

I introduced my hookbait and carefully lowered it into a small hole, I then stood there poised, ready for action, like some sort of Heron! Just as I thought it wasn’t going to happen, there was a massive eruption as a fish hammered my hookbait!

I grabbed the net and went in after it and I was up to my thighs in water and weed as the angry Carp desperately tried to break free. As quickly as the commotion had started it stopped as I bundled in the fish and a huge ball of weed into my landing net.



I weighed what was a lovely looking fish, not the biggest of the feeding bunch, but another twenty at 24lb 10oz. Soaked through I was pleased with such an opportunistic piece of jungle warfare!

I re-did the rods and dried off in the sun, but that was to prove the last action of the trip as I headed off early the following morning.

The Tackle Box Daiwa SS2600 Reel Greys Stalking Rod Korda Interceptor Controller Float Drennan Double Strength Hook length ESP Raptor Big T Hooks